Astros notes: Lee shows some speed with another triple

Lee’s three-baggers

One of the lighter moments — and lighter recurring moments — of spring training was watching Carlos Lee take batting practice. Whenever the plodding slugger would hit a ball well but keep it in the ballpark, he would shout, “That’s a triple!”

Believe it or not, he might have been on to something.

Lee tallied his second triple of the season Thursday, matching his total from the previous two seasons combined. He and Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro share the National League lead.

In the fourth inning, Lee shot one to the wall in right-center field, and when Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs couldn’t come down with the ball and were slow to pick it up, Lee turned it on.

“I was running hard and saw that he kind of slowed down to pick the ball up, and I said, ‘Let’s take a shot,’ ” Lee said after the game.

And it wasn’t just for show or for trivia. Lee scored the Astros’ second run on Brett Wallace’s RBI groundout.

Abad’s first ‘W’

Fernando Abad’s first major league win came in part from a little bit of faith displayed by his manager.

The lefthanded reliever, somewhat of a lefty specialist in the past, had retired three batters and needed one more to escape the eighth with two men on. Righty Ryan Hannigan was coming up, and only righties remained on the Reds’ bench to pinch-hit in the pitcher’s spot on deck.

Brad Mills stuck with Abad, who induced a popup from Hannigan.

“We were talking about that an awful lot, but he was throwing the ball so well,” Mills said of the chance to remove Abad. “He had a feel for the mound and with how he was throwing. There was a lot of conversation about it; there’s no doubt. But the way he was throwing the ball tipped the scales.”

Bourn feeling better

Michael Bourn missed Thursday’s game with left groin soreness that he began feeling the night before, but he was encouraged with his progress.

“It’s not all the way there, but it feels much better,” said Bourn, who is hoping to return for today’s home opener.

“I won’t rush it or do anything stupid, but if I feel good enough to go (today), I’ll go. Actually I would like to go for our home opener.”

Jason Bourgeois started in Bourn’s place and went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts and a stolen base that led to a first-inning run.

It was the first personnel change in the seven players outside the battery. The Astros have had a few shifts in the batting order and did again on Thursday as Bill Hall moved down to the No. 7 spot.

Hall entered the game 2-for-19 with nine strikeouts and went 1-for-2 with a walk Thursday.